Faucet



May 6, 1952 G. E. FRANCK ETAL FAUCET Filed Feb. 21, 1949 MM WW, M @5446Patented May 6, 1952 FAUCET GeorgeE. Franck, Riverside, and Joseph H.vZales, Chicago, Ill.,, 'assignors to The Imperial Brass ManufacturingCompany, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application February21. 1949, Serial No. 77,488

l Claims. (01. .251-- -132) The invention relates generally to faucetsand more particularly to faucets having a springseated valve.

It "is a perfectly natural reaction for any person operating a faucetwith a spring-seated valve simply to release the operating handle whenthe fiow through the faucet is to be arrested. The inevitable result ofsuch uncontrolled release of the operating handle is water hammer, thisresult being inherent from the nature offthe construction of the faucet.While water hammer is objectionable wherever it occurs, it isparticularly objectionable in ships, trains and the like, where faucetsof the springseated valve type are customarily employed.

It is therefore a primary object of the invention to'perf'ect aspring-seated valve faucet which does "not cause water hammer.

Amore particular object of the invention is to provide 'a spring-seatedvalve faucet in which the closing movements of the valve are retardedregardless of the speed of return of the operating handle.

Another object "is to provide a spring-seated valve faucet havingincorporated in the main flow passage an operating'handle controlledoriflee serving to govern the rate of closing of the spring-seatedvalve.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,in which:

Fig. Lisa view partially in section and partlal ly in elevation of aplumbing unit including a spring-seated valve faucet embodying thefeatures of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 2-2 ofFig. 1 but showing the valve in open rather than closed position.

Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional view taken approximately along the line3-3 ofFig. 2.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, it is here shown and will hereinafter bedescribed in ,a preferred embodiment. It is not intended, however, thatthe invention is to be -limited thereby to thespec'ific disclosure made.On the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications andalternative constructions "falling within the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims. 7

As shown in the drawings for purposes of disclosure, the faucetconstitutes part of .a larger plumbing unit of the type customarilyemployed in.Pullman.cars,ships and the like. Such a unit comprisesgenerally a cold water source, generally designated 5, a hot watersource, generally designated 6. and a drain control, generallydesignated l. The unit is customarily composed of a lower concealedhousing 8 containing the actual fluid flow controlling mechanisms, thatis,

housing 9 carrying operating levers l0 for an tuating the actual flowcontrolling mechanisms. The unit is secured to the lavatory proper or tosome portion or extension ll thereof by clamping the portion orextension ll between the two parts 8 and 9 through the medium of bolts12.

As seen in Fig. '1, the lower or concealed housing 8 is symmetrical withrespect to a vertical plane passing through the drain control or centerone of the levers H], with each half housing a faucet. Inasmuch as thefaucets are identical, one only has been shown in detail and one onlywill hereinafter be described. Herein the body or housing l3 of thefaucet is preferably and, of course, forms one-half of the lower orconcealed housing '8, though it is to be appreciated that it may beformed as a separate unit. Herein the body 13 is formed with a tfirstcylindrical chamber M, a second cylindrical chamber i5 coaxial-with saidfirst chamber l4, and afluld supplying passage composed of a series ofconnecting shorter passages having-interposed therein the flowcontrolling valve mechanism. "This fluid supplying passage is composedof a first portion I6 terminating at one end in a threaded port I! forthe connection to the fluid supply conduit. The passage portion I6 isformed in one of the lateral extensions l8 of the body t3 andcommunicates at the other end with the chamber I 4 through a sidewallthereof over an area spaced slightly outwardly from the inner end ofthat chamber. Leading from the chamber I4 and opening thereto throughone 'end thereof is an intermediate passage portion l9 coaxial with thechambers l4 and I5, and communicating at the other end with a passage"20 formed in another lateral extension 2| and joining a similar passageleading from the otherfiuid supply source to mix the fluid supplied bythe two sources.

As above stated, chamber M has passage portion l9 opening to one endthereof, "herein the inner end of chamber Hi. Surrounding passage I9 isan annular flange 22 forming a valve-seat. Cooperating with the valveseat 22 is a valve means or element 23 in the form of a piston having aloose fit in the chamber Id. The inner end of the valve element isslightly recessed and car ries in the recess a disk 24 of suitableleather, fiber or plastic material forming a fluid-tight seal with theseat 23 when urged into seated position. The disk 24 is preferablyremovably secured by means of a screw 25 provided with an exaggeratedhead 25 serving as an abutment for the valve opening rod and alsoserving as an aid iri'trapping fluid "in the passage portion l9, all aswill hereinafter be more fully described. The 'valve is urged towardseated position by means of "a compression spring 21 retained at oneendin an annular recess 28 formed in the valve element which shock andreceived at the other end in a recess 29 of a closure plug 30 threadedinto the outer end of the chamber l4.

Chamber has an enlarged portion 3| at its outer end to provide anoutwardly facing shoulder 32. The enlarged portion 3| is threaded andreceives a plug 33 serving to clamp between it and the annular shoulder32 the outer periphery of a flexible sealing diaphragm 34.

Extending axially through the chamber I5 is a rod 35 serving to transmitvalve opening movement of the lever Hi to the valve 23. The outer end ofthe rod 35 is threaded and passes through the center of the diaphragm34. On the inner side of the diaphragm the rod 35 carries a ferrule36'while there is threaded overthe outer end of the rod a thimble 31that projects outwardly through and beyond the plug 33. The ferrule andthe thimble 3'! clamp the diaphragm 34 therebetween so as to effect aseal where the rod passes through the diaphragm and the thimble 34 has aloose sliding fit within theplug 33 While the rod 35 has a loose slidingfit with a bore 38 openin to the inner end of the chamber [5 so as toguide the rod for axial reciprocatory movement. A compression spring 40is housed in the chamber [5 hearing at one end against the innerend'wall of the chamber and at the other end against the ferrule 36thereby constantly urging the rod 35 outwardly.

As best seen in Fig. 2, each lever Ill has a fingerlike; finger-actuatedportion 4| projecting outwardly above the exposed housing 9 and asemicircular portion 42 concealed within the housing portion 9 save forso much as projects through an aperture 43. The lever I0 is pivoted atits extreme inner end on a shaft 44 journaled in bearlugs 45 dependingfrom the inner side of the exposed housing 9. 'I'he'lever is sopositioned that the radial surface or shoulder 46 engages the rounded,upper end of the thimble 31 so that rocking of the lever will impartaxial movement to the rod 35.

It will be seen from the foregoing-and in so far as the faucet has beendescribed,'that to open the valve a person pulls the leverforward, asviewed in Fig. 1 (to the left in Fig. 2). This movement shifts the rod35 axiallycausing-the inner end thereof to abut the exaggerated head 26of the screw 25 and to force the valve element 23 away from its seat inopposition to the action of the spring 21. Moreover, the lever I3 mustbe held if the valve is to remain open. Immediately upon release of thelever l0, spring 40 restores the rod 35 and valve 23 is by spring 2! andby the pressure behind the valve snapped to seated position. This suddenclosing of the passage and the sudden arrest of fiow of water causes ashock to be transmitted through the entire system,

is commonly known as water hammer.

'I0 avoid the sudden seating of the valve element 23 with the resultantwater hammer, means is provided herein for retarding the seating of thevalve'element independently of the mode of release of the lever It. Tothat end, there is interposed in the portion l9 of the fluid supplypassage an orifice which, in cooperation with the rod 35 'and the head25 of screw 25 produces a dash pot'efiect in the seating of the valveelement 23. Herein this orifice comprises an annular rin 48 fixed in thepassage portion I9. This ring has an aperture just slightly larger thanthe inner tip 49 of the rod 35, this tip functioning as a land in aspool-type valve. outwardly of the land 49 the rod 35 has a reducedportion- 50 substantially smaller in diameter than the aperture in thering 48. The relative axial positions of the land 49, the reducedportion 50, and the ring 48 are such that when the valve element 23 isthrough actuation of the lever I!) held open the reduced portion 50 ofthe rod 35 occupies the aperture in the ring 48, as shown in Fig. 2. Thereduced portion 50 and the aperture in the ring 48 are so proportionedas to provide for the required flow of water. Immediately upon releaseof the lever It! the rod 35 is urged outwardly by the spring 40 and theland 49 enters and occupies the aperture in the ring 48. The land 49 andthe aperture in the ring 48 are so proportioned that flow therethroughwhen the land is in the aperture is very materially reduced though notcompletely cut off. With land 49 in the ring 48 blocking free escape offluid from the upper end of the passage portion 19, movement of thevalve element 23 toward seated position under the influence of thespring 21 tends to trap fluid in the chamber formed in the passageportion l9 between the ring 48 and the valve seat 22. It has been foundfrom experience, however, that the restriction produced by the land 49in the ring 48 is alone not sufficient to eliminate water hammer infaucets of this type. Unless means is provided for also constricting thepassage at the end opposite the ring 48, fluid will not be effectivelytrapped but will continue to flow out between the valve seat 22 and thewasher 24 until there is a firm seating of the valve. This means thatthe valve still seats abruptly and thus producing water hammer. This isparticularly true in installations where the water pressure issubstantial for it will be seen that the water pressure adds its forceto that of the spring 21' in urging the valve element to final seatedposition.

- To remedy that situation means is herein provided carried by the valveelement which serves to constrict the passage and moreover does so wellin advance of the contact of the washer 24 with-the seat 22. As stated,screw 25 has an exaggerated head 26. As shown in the drawing, the headhas a base portion- 26'.just slightly smallerin diameter than thepassage l9 at the seat.22. This base portion 26, as shown in thedrawing, constitutes slightly less than half of the head 26, but therelative proportions are not material. Definitely material, however, isthe fact that the base portion 26' is of such length relative to thetravel of the valve element from closed to open position and vice versathat it enters the passage l9 at a time (speaking of the return of thevalve element to seated position) when the valve element still has amajor portion of its movement to traverse. The head 26 has an overalllength such that even in valve seated position, it does not reach ring48 though it does extend a considerable distance into the passage Hi.This considerable extension into the passage serves to displace a largerquantity of fluid and thus enhances the dash-pot action by causing thatmuch more fluid to be forced through the now restricted passages beforethe valve can seat.

We claim as our invention:

1. A faucet comprising, in combination, a body havingtherein acylindricalchamber and a passage forthe flow of fluid therethrough, saidpassage opening to said chamber through a side wall and through one endthereof, an annular valve seat formed in said chamber in surroundingrelation to the portion of the passage opening to said chamber throughthe end thereof, a valve element having a portion loose in said chambercooperating with said seat to control the flow of fluid through thepassage and a reduced portion receivable with a close fit within theportionfof said passage opening to the end of said chamber, a springurging said valve element to seated fpo sition, operating mechanism formoving said valve element off said seat having a normal and an actuatedposition and including a lever and an axially movable rod disposedconcentrically of said chamber, said rod at the end adjacent said valveelement having a land-like tip and a portion of reduced diameterinwardly of the tip, means urging said operating mechanism to normalposition independently of said valve element seating spring, an annularring in the passage on the discharge side of said valve seat spacedtherefrom by a distance greater than the length ofthe reduced portion toform an elongated chamber and having said rod passin therethrough, theland-like portion and the portion of reduced'diameter being sopositioned relative to said ring and so dimensioned that the land is insaid ring when said operating mechanism is in normal position while theportion of reduced diameter is in the ring during the time that saidoperating mechanism is in actuated position, the land of said rod havinga diameter just slightly less than that of the orifice in said ringmaterially reducing the possible flow through the orifice whenpositioned in said ring.

2. A faucet comprising, in combination, a body having therein a passagefor the flow of fluid therethrough including an enlarged cylindricalportion forming a valve chamber, said passage opening to one end of saidvalve chamber and over a portion adjacent that end being concentric withsaid valve chamber, an annular valve seat formed in said chamber insurrounding relation to the portion of the passage opening to saidchamber through the end thereof, the passage also extending laterally ofsaid chamber and opening thereto through a side wall with the innermargin of the opening in the side wall being spaced from said annularvalve seat, a valve element having a main portion loose in said chambercooperating with said valve seat to control the flow of fluid throughthe passage and having immediately adjacent the seat-engaging portion areduced portion receivable with but slight clearance in the concentricportion of said passage, said reduced portion being of an axial lengthsuch that it is received in the passage at approximately the same timethat the inner-(end of the main portion of said valve element Passes theinner margin of the opening in the side-of said valve chamber, a springurging said *valve element to seated position, operating mechanism formoving said valve element off said seat having a normal and an actuatedposition and including a lever and an axially movable rod disposedconcentrically of said chamber, said rod at the end adjacent said valveelement having a land-like tip and a portion of reduced diameterinwardly of the tip, means urging said operating mechanism to normalposition independently of said valve element seating spring, an annularring in the passage on the discharge side of said valve seat spacedtherefrom to form an elongated chamber and having said rod passingtherethrough, the land-like portion and the portion of reduced diameterbeing so positioned relative to said ring and so dimensioned that theland is in said ring when said operating mechanism is in normal positionwhile the portion of reduced diameter is in the ring during the timethat said operating mechanism is in actuated position, the land of saidrod having a diameter just slightly less than that of the orifice insaid ring materially reducing the possible flow through the orifice whenpositioned in said ring.

3. A faucet comprising in combination, a body having therein a passagefor the flow of fluid therethrough, an annular valve seat surroundingthe passage, an independent valve element cooperating with said seat tocontrol the flow of fluid through the passage, a spring urging saidvalve element to seated position, operating mechanism for moving saidvalve element off said seat having a normal and an actuated position,means for returning said operating mechanism to normal positionindependently of said valve element, means forming an orifice located insaid passage on the discharge side of said valve seat and spacedtherefrom to form an elongated chamber therewith in which fluid may betrapped, a part movable With said operating mechanism and cooperatingwith said orifice to enlarge the passage therethrough when saidoperating mechanism is in actuated position and restricting the passagetherethrough when in normal position, and a reduced portion projectingaxially from the valve seat engaging end of said valve element adaptedto extend through said valve seat and into the chamber formed betweenthe orifice and said valve seat and having a base portion of a diametereffectively restricting the outer end of the chamber when received insaid passage.

4. A faucet comprising in combination, a body having therein a passagefor the flow of fluid therethrough, an nnular valve seat surrounding thepassage, an independent valve element cooperating with said seat tocontrol the flow of fluid through the passage, a spring urging saidvalve element to seated position, operating mechanism for moving saidvalve element off said seat having a normal and an actuated position,means for returning said operating mechanism to normal positionindependently of said valve element, means forming an orifice located insaid passage on the discharge side of said valve seat and spacedtherefrom to form an elongated chamber therewith in which fluid may betrapped, a part movable with said operating mechanism and cooperatingwith said orifice to enlarge the passage therethrough When saidoperating mechanism is in actuated position and restricting the passagetherethrough when in normal position, and means on said valve elementrestricting the end of said chamber opposite said orifice during themajor portion of the closing movement of said valve element.

GEORGE E. FRANCK. JOSEPH H. ZALES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 702,383 Tyson June 10, 1902976,908 Payne Nov. 29, 1910 1,144,758 Desmond June 29, 1915 1,821,260Dobrick Sept. 1, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 281,488 Italyof 1931

